The Work of a Mad Man or A Bad Girl?
by Hannie B
Summary: This is a repost. Kristin is framed for a crime and is sent to Larkhall. How will she cope and will her innocence be proven?
1. Chapter 1

_This story had previously been posted but got deleted._

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

_**Bad Girls was a UK show set in Larkhall women's prison. It explores the relationship between the inmates and the prison officers 'screws'! I highly recommend it as a must watch; it has the perfect balance between humour and drama. My main focus will be on Phyl Oswyn and Bev Tull, the costa cons! For those who are familiar with Bad Girls, this story is set when Karen Betts is still wing governor and so the brilliant Yvonne Atkins is still alive and kicking. Plus, Barbra Hunt will not have been released yet!**_

_**SeaQuest, on the other hand, is a science fiction program set on a submarine 'seaQuest' in the near future, 2018. The three main characters I will use from this are Kristin, Nathan, and Lucas. Kristin is a British medical doctor and scientist aboard the sub; Nathan is the captain who has been widowed and also lost his son to war. In my story, however, Nathan and Kristin will be married. Lucas is the resident child genius onboard and computer wiz kid; he looks to Nathan and Kristin as parents. Oh, and one last thing is Kristin has a grown up daughter called Cynthia!**_

_**Both Phyl and Kristin are portrayed by the gorgeous Miss Stephanie Beacham!**_

_**A/N: Despite a heavy focus on Kristin in jail be under no allusions that this will be as 'unseaquesty' as my other fictions. It will also tell the story of the seaQuest crew fighting for justice for Kristin.**_

**Disclaimer:Any characters you recognize do not belong to me; instead, I have borrowed them; may possibly break them along the way; but will usually return them with a big smile on their faces!**

**Chapter One**

The early morning sun beamed through the parting in the curtain, causing Nathan to stir. The man in question automatically reached to the other side of the bed only to be met by coldness and emptiness, a reflection of what was felt by his heart. The reality of the day set in; his wife, Kristin, had not been in his bed for sometime now, and today would decide whether she would ever sleep beside him again.

Nathan rose and strolled to the bathroom. He peered in the mirror; his normal tan skin was pale and grey from lack of sleep, made even more obvious by the bags underneath his eyes. It had been such a tough month… but today was the _tip of the iceberg,_so to speak. By the end of the day, he would more than likely be Nathan Bridger, husband to a convicted murderer, in the eyes of the court, at least.

In his heart, he _knew_ she was innocent, but either fate or an enemy had conspired against her. Damn! Even he_,_ _her husband,_couldn't deny that she _sounded_guilty!

Less than a year ago, they had said their wedding vows, the happiest day of their lives. And now, they should be embarking on the next stage of their journey as husband and wife, but instead, they were separated, separated by the justice system. Nathan couldn't bare the thought of how vulnerable Kristin's tiny frame would look in a jail cell.

As Nathan got ready to, once again, play the tiresome role of supportive husband, Kristin, too, was preparing for the day's proceedings.

She had awoken that morning with a fight and determination which she had lacked in the past few days; she only hoped her valiant efforts where not too late. She looked in disgust at the few clothes in her cell. How in Hell's name could she manage to look respectable if she couldn't have a proper shower or wear freshly washed and ironed clothes? Still she tried her best, and fifteen minutes later, looked in the mirror to see a linen-clad Kristin staring back. She looked acceptable, and that was all anyone could ask; she took this time to reflect…

_"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a Kristin Westphalen," a woman, standing on the doorstep, asked._

_"That would be me. Who's asking?" Kristin retorted; she had only come to visit her mother for the week. It was last minute, so very few people even knew she was in England._

_"I'm DCI Lewis and this is DI Mayne; Miss Westphalen, could you please accompany us to the station? We have a few questions we'd like to ask you."_

Kristin had, of course, agreed. After all, she had nothing to hide. It had, however, been the start of her downfall; through the next month, she had become a shadow of her former self. Yet still, the defining moment of the ordeal was when she found out _what_ they were trying to pin on her.

_DCI Lewis' spoke, her mancunian accent ringing out; "Kristin Westphalen-Bridger, I am arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Dr. Kevin Norton. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."_

The shock on her face only grew over the coming weeks; she had only ever met Kevin Norton once, and that was at a conference the week before. Yet now, a month down the line, she stood facing prison for killing the man. Sometimes life's unfair, and sometimes it's just so damned unpredictable.

The unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock made Kristin turn around as a junior prison officer entered the cell, "I'm here to escort you to interview room two for a meeting with your lawyer."

Kristin was escorted down to the interview rooms where she was eventually left in sole company of her lawyer, Barry, who happened to be an old family friend.

"So, Barry, be honest here. What are my chances of being cleared?" Kristin asked. She was almost scared to inquire. There are, after all, some things in life for which it is better to adopt the '_ignorance is bliss'_ policy!

"Kristin, you're an intelligent woman, and I'm not going to insult that intelligence. So, honestly, it's not looking good. Whichever bastard pinned this on you knew what he was doing! His plan was flawless; your DNA is all over this, Kristin. And while we have tried to play on the fact that many of your 'foes' are likely to be scientists and have knowledge of DNA and know how to plant it, you still look guilty, pet."

Kristin bristled for a moment; her eyes stinging with tears, "So you're telling me this could be it? I'm quite probably going to spend the rest of my life staring at four blank walls?"

"I'm sorry Kristin; your charge will be murder, which carries with it a life sentence, but the judge sets you a time at which you can apply for parole. That could be anywhere between fifteen and forty years."

"If it's forty, well, I'll not be around to see my release! For Christ sakes, I'm forty-seven. I would be eighty-seven when I'm released. Know many eighty-seven year olds? Course you don't!"

"I know you're upset. Quite frankly, we all are, but you're one of the lucky ones, Kristin! You may not believe it, but it's the truth."

"Lucky? What in Hell's name is lucky about this scenario? I'm going to go to jail!"

"Yes, but you have a husband who loves you with all his heart and will not give up trying to free you. I _know_that, and I also _know_ that he'll find the evidence to clear your name someday. There are too many women on the inside who were manipulated or wrongly sentenced, and I can tell you none of those ladies had themselves a_Nathan Bridger_."

Kristin couldn't help but give a small laugh and smile; it was nothing noteworthy but a step in the correct direction all the same.

"That's my girl!" Barry retorted, "Now let's show them Hell, honey!" With that, he led her out of the interview room, and under police escort, they made their way to the court room.

A half hour later, a quivering Kristin was led into the dock, flanked by two custody officers. And, moments later, she stood for the judge. She tried to stand tall as she looked to the gathered public, as many as could be imagined for the case had been one of high profile. She was, after all, the wife of the UEO's 'golden boy' and a woman held by academics in high regard. Whilst many of the faces in the crowd were, quite obviously, being _nosy,_ there were also faces which _almost_raised a smile from her!

Offering their strength and support were her immediate family; her mother, Nathan, Cynthia, and Lucas. Of course, though, she had expected them to be there; they were the only people in the world that made her current situation bearable They were her reason to go on. Cynthia and Lucas sat on either side of Nathan, wrapped comfortingly in his embrace; Kristin couldn't help but feel jealous of the two youngsters.

It also appeared that the _seaQuest_ must have stripped down to the skeleton crew, for the entirety of the senior bridge team were present. It seemed at least that some people believed the doctor's innocence, even Jonathan, whom she'd never quite seen eye to eye with.

The defence began to speak for the last time, but Kristin was too wrapped up in her audience and inner turmoil to notice. She looked, once again, to Nathan, and this time he mouthed the words, "I love you." to her.

Those words echoed around her head until court was adjourned, and the jury was led off to reach their decision. Would they find the dear doctor guilty or not guilty?

Katie looked around the small gathering there in Kristin's support; Nathan and Lucas looked like they were ready to break down. Cynthia, on the other hand, looked strong. Yet Katie's womanly intuition knew that Cynthia was very like her mother and was trying to keep strong for the sake of the rest of the family.

"Come on people, let's go get a coffee and a bite to eat; it's lunch time," Katie said in a bid to lighten the mood.

Nathan looked at his chief engineer as though she had lost her mind. "Have you listened to yourself speak, Hitchcock? My wife is about to go to prison for a murder which she _didn't_ even commit, and you have the audacity to think of your stomach? Shame on you, woman; Kristin thought you were her friend?"

"With respect, S_ir_, I know you are upset, but you still need to eat. You have to keep your strength up; if she goes down for this, Sir, we are going to try and prove her innocence and ask for an appeal. You _need_ to keep well to be able to help her."

Nathan nodded begrudgingly, admitting Katie's logic as the traipsed out of the court room. The group, for the most part, remained in silence and stillness during lunch. The only real movement was Nathan's reassuring touches on the shoulders of Cynthia and Lucas. He knew they were hurting just as he was; everything was just so hard to take in.

Two hours later found the court commencing once again; the entirety of the public gallery, plus Kristin, sat with baited breath as the judge spoke words which would haunt her forever; "Doctor Kristin Westphalen-Bridger, I find you guilty of murder and I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment with the opportunity to apply for parole in 25 years. Take her down."

Tears streamed down Kristin's face as she was forced down the steps and into the awaiting prisoner transport van. She had been so caught up in her own hurt and sorrow that she hadn't even taken the opportunity to look at the faces of the ones she loved; if she had, she would have seen her husband, daughter, and 'stand-in' son mouthing words of support, encouragement, and love to her.

Yet all that seemed to be going through her head was "twenty-five"; it seemed so odd. By the time she got out of prison, her now twenty-two year old daughter would be Kristin's current age of forty-seven. That's a long time to be out of someone's life, and that's a very long time for a man to go without love. Kristin's body wracked with sobs as she considered what her life had become.

_**I really hope you enjoyed it and please, it took a long time to write this chapter, so feedback would be greatly appreciated! I was VERY disappointed by the response in terms of reviews to my last sQ fic. However I feel I am back and stronger than ever and reviews would be appreciated muchly and also motivate me for the next chapter! Although I confess I have already written five chapters!**_

_**As usual thanks to my beta Darcy! I would also like to make clear that in the UK there aren't degrees of murder as there is in the US. In the UK it is also defence rather than defense.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_As usual thanks to my beta Darcy! I would also like to make clear that in the UK there aren't degrees of murder as there is in the US. In the UK it is also defence rather than defense._**

**Chapter Two**

"Good morning," came the voice of wing governor, Karen Betts.

Choruses of "Morning, Karen" and "Morning, Miss Betts" echoed around the small room.

"Right; let's get started people," Karen enthused, "Firstly, we have a new lifer being shipped in today, a Doctor Kristin Westphalen-Bridger. It was a high-profile case, so you may have heard of it as well as some of the girls."

"High-profile case? What is the justice system coming to? Glorifying criminals; a murder no less. Well don't you worry, Miss Betts. I'll soon bring her down a peg or two," came the monotone complaints of one Sylvia 'Bodybag' Hollamby.

"Right, Sylvia; if you feel so confidently that you are capable of that, then you can be her personal officer," Karen retorted with a smirk on her face.

This managed to rise an early morning smile from the officers' faces; Sylvia always had a tendency to put her 'foot in her mouth' and land herself in it.

Sylvia gave one of her famous harrumphs and then spoke, "You just leave this doctor to me."

"Thank you, Sylvia. That leaves us with a problem in terms of cell space; I've been thinking this through, and I want to mix up the four-bed cell. Having Oswyn and Tull in a two bed on their own allows them too much scope to plan out their next con trick; I feel that having them in a cell with a good influence would do the trick. So, I want McKenzie and Blood tp move into Oswyn and Tull's cell, and I want O'Kane and Lester in Barbara Hunt's cell. Understood? So that leaves the Costa Cons, Hunt, and Westphalen in the four-bed."

Mumbles of agreement were heard along with other mumblings about the 'OAP cell'.

* * *

Only a few hours later, Kristin found herself in a waiting area of Larkhall prison under the critical eye of Sylvia Hollamby, who had threatened her with a very thorough strip search. Mrs Hollamby, it seemed, had already taken badly to her, especially after she pointed out that, as a doctor, a strip search didn't overly bother her.

Kristin's tears were, for the moment, ceased; she realised that to be heard in here, she needed to be seen as strong. To cry would only give the other inmates ammunition; it would show weakness.

During her induction, Kristin had also asked that she be referred to as Kristin Westphalen; she felt that the surname of Bridger would give her too much of a link to her husband; God only knew what the other inmates were capable of, and she wanted to do nothing that could endanger Nathan.

She was next lead to the doctor for a quick once over. Sylvia fluttered her eye lashes at the doctor, and Kristin couldn't help but snigger at the obviously one-sided flirtation. Hollamby gave her a death-cold stare, one which Kristin wasn't afraid to return with the infamous Westphalen glare.

Sylvia turned to the doctor, "Malcom this is our most recent lifer, Kristin Westphalen. Westphalen, this is doctor Nicholson. Give me a shout when you're done with this one, Malcom."

"Will do, Sylvia," replied Malcom. He waited for Hollamby to shut the door, and then, turned back to Kristin and stated, "You, on the examination table."

Kristin did as she was told, and the doctor proceeded to give her a general check over; already, Kristin had taken a dislike to the doctor. He just wasn't what she would consider a good doctor; he didn't explain any of the tests to her or give her any indication of whether her health was good or bad. Kristin just couldn't take the doctor's demeanour for any longer and decided to air her opinions.

"You do realise that I could have told you that I keep perfect health?" she said.

"Do you realise how many women come and say exactly the same? Most of them are wrong; you need to be a doctor to make that judgement," Nicholson replied.

"That's rather a crass comment, Doctor; plus, I am a doctor, so I can make that judgement, yes?"

"You're a doctor? You can't be; you're in prison."

"You think that just because I am in a respected job that I can avoid prison? Life doesn't work that way, mate."

"So it would seem…well, as it goes you are fit for duty. I'll just get Mrs Hollamby to escort you down to G-wing."

Ten minutes later, and the gates to G-wing where unlocked; as Kristin was led through them, she couldn't help but feel as though she was under scrutiny by all the other women, for it seemed all eyes were on her.

"You can say your introductions later, Westphalen, but for now, let's just get you to your cell," Hollamby ordered.

Kristin was led into her cell; as she saw it, her mouth hung agape. She had expected to be in either a single or a two-bed cell…not a four. Whilst Kristin enjoyed the company of others, she was also an extremely private person, and admittedly, had a temper. More than a week with the same three people would likely give her cabin fever and result in an extremely ratty woman.

Another of Kristin's traits was to be opinionated, and just because she was in prison didn't mean that would change, and so she spoke to Hollamby, "You can't really expect me to bunk in with three others?"

"We can do whatever we want; you earn privileges in here. So until you prove yourself worthy, you are in the four bed…."

Hollamby was cut short by angry voices at the door of the cell.

"What the hell? There's no more room in our cell!" Buki Lester shouted.

"Get that oul' hag out of our cell," came the threatening Scottish tones of Al McKenzie.

"Here, here…" agreed Denny Blood, whilst Tina O'Kane attempted her most threatening look, a look that most often backfired on the chubby face of the young girl.

"Actually girls, this is no longer your cell," Hollamby informed, obviously pleased to be the person to break the bad news.

All Kristin wanted was to fit in and not to 'rub people up' the wrong way. She said, "Mrs Hollamby, I really don't want any trouble on my part."

"Westphalen, believe me when I say that this is not for your benefit. Blood and McKenzie, you're both moving to Oswyn and Tull's cell…perhaps you'd like to inform them that they'll be moving into the four-bed. As for you, O'Kane and Lester, you can move to Hunt's cell and tell her the same. Westphalen, I am your personal officer, and so, I will arrange a meeting with you for tomorrow. I'll just leave you to settle in."

Kristin nodded her head in agreement; in honesty, she just needed time to 'acclimatize' to her new surroundings. All the same, she had time for politeness and turned to the four girls who had begun packing up their few belongings; "I'm Kristin Westphalen, by the way."

A rather frightening-looking girl, who Kristin recalled to be McKenzie shot her another dirty look. She was, however, offered a smile by a slightly ditzy-looking blonde, the girl who had failed to give her a threatening look. The girl then outstretched her hand and shook Kristin's warmly. "I'm Tina… Tina O'Kane. Don't mind them; they're just in a mood at having to move, but don't you worry. I'll introduce you."

Kristin smiled warmly at the girl who continued to speak, "This is Denny Blood," she motioned to a petite, tattoo-clad girl with dark curly hair who nodded her head in recognition of Kristin before turning back to her packing. "This is Al McKenzie," she motioned to the Scottish girl, once again, who completely ignored the introduction. "Last but not least, this is Buki Lester," she motioned to a dark-skinned, dark-haired girl who looked no more a criminal than Tina.

Buki, too, stuck out her hand in greeting and spoke, "So what you in here for, how long?"

Kristin smiled; she had wondered how long it would take for that question to be broached, "I'm a lifer; I was sent down for murdering a man I only met once. Didn't do it." It was straight and to the point, but the pain was too fresh, and to speak of it openly would only add salt to the wound.

"That's what they all say when they come in here; ain't it Teen?" Buki asked.

Tina agreed, "Oh yeah; I'm not saying you're a liar or nothing, but most of them admit to it in the end. Anyway, I've finished with my stuff. You want to come meet some of the girls?"

"Thank you very much for the offer, Tina, but I think I'll decline. I'm just really tired after the court case."

"Course you are. Well, I'll leave you to it, shall I?" Tina replied.

Kristin nodded her head in thanks, and minutes later, was left alone in the dorm, alone in her thoughts…her collapsed world.

* * *

**Once again PLEASE press the button and leave me some words of advice, encouragement, or criticisms! I can't ever improve if I don't get feed back!**


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